Using the Wordpress Multisite feature (hereinafter: multisite), you can create separate sites on a subdomain (for example, news.domain.com) or in a subdirectory (domain.com/news). It is assumed that all sites, regardless of the method of placement, are managed from one admin panel and store data in one database.
To enable the multisite feature, there is no need to reinstall an already installed site. And if Wordpress is not installed yet, install it in the most usual and convenient way for you. To do this, use one of the instructions "Installing Wordpress in the console" or "HestiaCP: How to issue an SSL certificate for a domain and install Wordpress" or "Installing Wordress on shared hosting with Cpanel"
So, you have a long-running or newly installed site on Wordpress. Enable and configure multisite:
1. To enable the multisite function, you need to add the line in the wp-config.php file
define( 'WP_ALLOW_MULTISITE', true );
To add the specified line to the wp-config.php file, you can download it to your local computer via FTP and copy it back to the server after the changes. Or use the file manager built into the server control panel.
2. The multisite function is active. It is worth mentioning that the term "Site" refers to a single site from a set of installed ones. And "Network" - the whole set of sites in this Wordress admin panel.
First, we will set up the network, and then we will create sites.
To configure the network, temporarily disable the enabled plugins on the site (Plugins tab) and go to the menu section Tools - Network Setup.
It is worth noting here that the selected site placement option (on a subdomain or subdirectory) cannot be changed in the future. Also, if the placement option on a subdomain is chosen, after creating the site in the future, make sure that there is a DNS record (A-record) for this subdomain.
After clicking the "Install" button, the system will prompt you to insert code snippets in the wp-config.php and .htaccess files.
After that, you need to re-enter the site admin panel and make sure that the Network is enabled and configured.
3. To create a Site, you need to go to the menu My Sites - Network Management - Sites - Add Site.
Fill in the fields with the name of the subdomain, the name of the site, select the language and specify the administrator's email (it is important that the email is real, as access data will be sent to the control panel of this site)
After adding, the site will appear in the general list of sites, and clicking on the site name will allow you to go to the control panel and site settings.
For each newly created site, you can install your own theme, add users, create unique articles.